I am looking for a the most idiot proof tarp system that employs HIKING poles (note: correction). And a bivvy bag. I would love to find a short bivy bag to fit a short sleeping bag (sleeper is 5'5" and 112 lbs)...this may be a reason to get into DIY!

Cuben is much harder to get a tight pitch vs. silnylon, which has some give in the material.

You just have to remember to give your guy lines a tug before you go to bed because silnylon sags in the presence of moisture.

What was tight like a drum when you first rolled into camp will sag as the temps drop and the fabric sags.

That said, once that has happened, re-tighening the guylines will take care of you through the rest of the night.

I am partial to Ron's work at Mountain Laurel Designs products.

Medium sized tarp that you can pitch as a simple A Frame should cover you.

Also check out Ron's bivy bags....a good size tarp matched with the superlight bivy will do you fine.

If you are a side sleeper or use a thick sleeping pad like a Neo Air, you might want to go for the Large option to give you more room to move around and for the thickness of your sleeping pad.

Ask for pole tip grommets to be installed on your tarp.

They make pitching the tarp really easy with poles.

I think that Ron offers light weight poles for setting up a tarp if you don't use trekking poles.

Hope this helps.

P.S. I am 5'6" and have a regular size bivy. The extra space is nice to have so you have room to store your gear in the head section of the bivy, above your head while sleeping. Always nice to be able to grab extra clothing and stuff in the middle of the night while inside your bivy.

I started off with a 18oz 8'x10' silnylon tarp in 2007. I latter added added a Titanium Goat bivy. It wasn't even a year before I wanted to replace the tarp with something lighter and smaller and ended up buying an expensive MLD cuben fiber solo tarp in 2008. After I lost my bivy sack in 2009 (fell off when I slide down a slope in snow), I replaced it with a more breathable one from MLD. I'm still using that MLD tarp and bivy sack even though its been several years used them. I used them on a PCT thru-hike and the 600 northern miles of the AT. MLD makes some nice quality stuff.

If you just want to learn tarping, find a silnylon one in a price range you like. If you like tarping, you can always get a more expensive lighter one later. Titanium Goat makes a nice bivy for the price and weight. It's not as breathable as MLD's (means more condensation issues but cuts cold wind better), but its cheaper.

Like everyone is saying, Borah and Bearpaw are great places to turn for a tarp and bivy. They make good stuff and you will be able to stay on the less expensive side of the spectrum. Stay simple with a square or rectangular tarp. You can move on to something else from there, but lots of folks never do.

Wanted to correct/update one reply - nothing is 12 weeks out. Tarps are shipping in a couple of weeks if not sooner and in general most all items are all shipping a bit faster than the current posted times on the MLD Homepage. Thanks!

I'll echo that MLD stuff is worth the wait (weight!); only you can decide how long you are willing or able to wait for a new shelter. Also, because you dislike non-adjustable poles and use 110cm poles, you should pay attention to recommended pole-height for any shelter you're looking at. I think (could be wrong) that many have a slightly higher recommended height starting around 120cm+, especially for the main pole in the center or front of a shelter. An exception would be "standard" A-frame cat or flat tarps where the rear pole is often set lower. Any shelter set very low and without a zippered entrance is going to be harder to get in and out of.

For ease, look at a MLD SoloMid or DuoMid, the MLD Patrol Shelter or Yama Mtn Cirriform Tarp. Any of these would pair well with a bivy and all have net-tents you could add later.

Thanks Steven for the heads up on pole length. I gave the Hilleberg Rajd (HEAVY) a try. Yeah, it's not a tarp! I ordered a pair of BD Women's Distance FL Z-poles...they adjust from 105 to 120, if I remember correctly, to accommodate it. These poles have a good locking mechanism. This set up seemed to be the worst of both the tent and tarp world, especially since I only need a solo shelter. It all went back. (Like I said, I am a beginner!)

Over the years, i have used telescoping LEKI poles (usually the more expensive ones) -- they shorten on me too often and I have to take my gloves off to tighten the fiddly mechanisms. I'm sure, it's not just me. When I do get them tight enough to hold, I have a hard time loosening them to store or shorten. I started using the BD Z pole last summer and I love it! (As others have mentioned, I would avoid the Distance UL for anything other than trail running when it is nice to be able to trot along holding poles horizontally in the middle. I quickly broke one with little force...snapped at a joint.)

Dale, I agree, the idiot proof option is a tent! And that's where I am at the moment.

I would like the versatility of sleeping in the bivy bag alone or using it with a tarp. Bivy bag can be useful in damp or not well sealed shelters. Tarp can be quickly erected during day for protection for elements. Or just wrapped around the body. Easier to just stuff it all in the pack and be off. Even for a given weight, I think there are situations where I would rather have a tarp and bivy than a tent...provided I can figure out what to do with them!

I think I need a tarp with the lines and tensioners attached. Idiot proof costs extra, I'm afraid. I am not necessarily interested in buying something cheap to test the concept. I am convinced of the concept! I would prefer to read about the ins and outs, look at photos, watch videos, check out shelters on the trail, etc. Then buy it and make it work...or send it back (where this is an option)! There will be a learning curve for sure. I would prefer to spend less than more, of course, all else being equal!

Reading more great things about MLD. The line looks impressive. Thanks Ron for the update...glad business is going so well!

I'm currently waiting for my MLD Silnylon Pro Poncho and Superlight Bivy. That said my philosophy is slightly different than yours in that: 1. I don't mind a little complexity i.e. no line-locks, for improved versatility in pitching options. 2. I used fixed length trekking poles and a clove hitch around the handle seems to work just fine, and if there is a tree or two I can effectively utilize, even better 3. If your willing to put the tarp on in inclement weather, why not a poncho tarp?

MLD Pro Poncho tarp and bivy are less than $400 easily (not the cheapest) depending on selected options. (I'm a big boy so my stuff is heavier and costs more, always). It seemed like the best way to go for me. Especially after reading so many thru-hikers using this combo effectively. I was convinced, plus who can resist MLD?

Hartley, If you can sew then making a tarp and bivy are extremely easy. Here is a link that shows examples of my projects. If you scroll down to the "bivy" you will find a link to instructions I put together. A good number of people have used it to make bivy's so it is a repeatable design.

Also I provide instructions for making a cuben tarp. For a first tarp I would suggest using silnylon to save money and practice. Making a square tarp 5" x 8" is about as simple a sewing project there is.

If you decide to go down this road and want any help or suggestions on where to buy materials just PM me.

If your poles don't adjust here is a trick that works for tarps (not tents). Wrap some Gorilla tape around the pole at the length you want to pitch the tarp at. Just wrap the guyline around the pole above that Gorilla tape and stake it out. It worked for me when one of my adjustable poles was sticking.